Senior Mitchell Arch, sophomore Calvin Cai, and first-year Art Martinez of the Case Western Reserve University wrestling team all earned Scholar All-America honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), as announced by the organization on Thursday. In addition, the Spartan wrestling team earned Scholar All-America Team honors for the sixth consecutive time with the ninth highest team grade point average in Division III.
Overall, the wrestling team ranked ninth in Division III in team grade point average with a Team GPA of 3.6562. The team's GPA is its highest since the 2019-20 season and second highest since at least the 2003-04 season. It also ranked first among the three University Athletic Association institutions that compete in wrestling.
Arch, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major, went 23-11 (.676) at 157 and 165 pounds with a team-leading 15 pins and one technical fall. It is the fourth consecutive season Arch earned Scholar All-American honors, the most total honors of any Spartan in program history.
Cai, a computer science major, went 21-19 (.525) across four weight classes for CWRU with six pins and two technical falls. He placed fifth in the Central Region at 157 pounds after going 5-2 with a team-high 15.5 points. It is his first career NWCA Scholar All-American honor.
Martinez went 34-12 (.739) at 141 pounds for the Spartans with 12 pins and three technical falls. His 34 wins and .739 winning percentage both led the team, and his 34 wins are the most by a CWRU wrestler since All-American Isaac Dukes won 37 matches at 149 pounds in the 2010-11 season. At the Central Regional, Martinez placed fifth at 141 pounds with a record of 4-2, earning 12 points for Case Western Reserve. It is his first career NWCA Scholar All-America honor.
To be named a NWCA Scholar All-American, individual wrestlers must surpass the minimum GPA of 3.2 and meet one of three competition criteria. On the mat, wrestlers must have either been a NCAA qualifier with a winning record, finished as a regional place winner (top 8) with a winning record and appeared in at least half of a team's scheduled events, or won at least two-thirds of their matches and appeared in at least half of a team's scheduled events.
During the 2022-23 season, the Spartans went 11-4 in dual matches and placed 11th in the Central Region, the team's highest regional finish since the introduction of the current regional formats prior to the 2012-13 season.
